The Tragic Paradise
by Amelia Valencia
Summary: Wild, Molbrin, and Arianna are three mystical wolf siblings who, after their home was annihilated by mysterious creatures, happen to float ashore on the coast of Narnia. Great futures await them, but so do even greater tragedies.
1. Adrift, Then Abruptly Ashore

A/N: OK! So this is my first fanfic ever! Woohoo! Let's see, between me being mostly computer illiterate and having a very old laptop with a very old and outdated version of JAWS (which stands for Job Access With Speech and is a computer software for blind folks like me), it's only been about three or four years since I first attempted to join , so you can imagine how excited I am!

So anyway, this story is based largely on a verbal RPG my best friend and I play over the phone and have been playing for nigh on seven years or so. Yes, our game is our own version of Narnia. It has some of the original characters, like the high kings and queens, Jadis, and Aslan of course, but pretty much all of the other characters involved are ours that we created. Feel free to be as honest as you wish in your reviews, but please don't be brutal! If you don't like it, just say so, tell me why, and then you don't have to keep reading! Haha, just kidding. But seriously, be honest. I'm in the process of writing my own book saga as well as two or three other books on the side that I have ideas for. I thought that writing fanfics would be a great way to introduce my style to the masses and find out what a crowd of people would think of my writing. So don't hesitate to tell me straight out what you think! On with the story! Yee haw! :D

Chapter 1

Adrift, Then Abruptly Ashore

The lonely raft floated aimlessly across the reflective surface of the ocean, the moon's pale image flitting and dancing across the rippling surface. Three solitary creatures rode aboard the little raft, all three wolves, and all three pups. They had been forced to leave their homeland behind due to ravaging monsters known only to the pups as "The Dark Ones". The pups were siblings, two sisters and a brother were they, and even in the dark and foreboding night, the three were warm as they huddled together in a furry ball. The eldest was named Wild, presumably for her one-of-a-kind, completely individual wild appearance. No other wolf in existence held the same appearance as Wild. She was, for lack of a better term, a tabby wolf. Her coat carried every shade and tone from snowy white to the darkest black, and several shades of brown in between. All over her body, her fur was a swirling mass of the various shades of brown, black and gray. Her paws were solid white with only very small specks of brown, and the underside of the end of her tail was white, while the upper side of the end of her tail was black. Also, her lower jaw was pure black with a gradually narrowing stripe of black running down her throat. Finally, her eyes were a brilliant emerald green. All in all, Wild was the possessor of the ultimate camouflage. If she were to stand motionless or just barely swaying in the foliage on the edge of a clearing with her eyes narrowed just right and her tail held just so, she would appear to be nothing more than bits of dirt and bark decorated with the shifting shadows of the leaves on the trees above her. In the winter, with her tail arched over her back, it would appear to be a branch of some sort with snow gathered upon it. She could hide from anyone and anything, even her siblings, who went mainly by scent when playing hide and seek.

The second was Molbrin, the brother of the siblings. Molbrin was very dark in his coloration, being mostly a very dark and smoky gray, having just a few swirls of white on his chest and stomach. His eyes were the beautiful golden glow of wheat which most wolves possessed, but there was a sort of deep intelligence glittering in his eyes. He was extremely protective of his sisters, even though Wild was the oldest and kept a close eye on both of her siblings. Wild had actually come from a separate litter. They had the exact same parents, but Wild was the only pup that had survived the previous litter, and Molbrin and Arianna had been the only two that Wild was able to get away from the Dark Ones and onto the raft.

Arianna, being the youngest, was constantly bouncy and springy, never knowing when she really needed sleep. Often times, Wild had to hold her down for an hour or more and sing just to make her be still, and it would take another two hours to make her go to sleep. Arianna was mostly white with a few patches of golden brown complimenting her beauty. Complimenting her beauty even more was the fact that, unlike any other wolf, she had deep brown eyes. All three pups had something about them that made them completely different from any other wolf or four-legged creature. Wild had her coloration, Arianna had her eyes…and Molbrin could fly. They weren't entirely certain what it was that made flight possible for Molbrin, but Wild theorized that it had something to do with a sort of telekinesis he had been born with. They were all three magical and had very unique abilities, each unique to themselves except for their ability to shapeshift. All three of them could shapeshift and take on a human guise.

They had been adrift for days, all of them alive, but fatally thirsty. Wild had kept her siblings fed by catching fish that were unfortunate enough to swim right below their raft, but of course, she couldn't supply them with fresh water. As the sun slowly began to slip over the horizon, Wild's eyes lit up. She rose to her feet, her tail wagging in relieved joy. She stared across the undulating surface of the dehydrating field of water for a moment, first ensuring that she wasn't just getting delusional. When she was satisfied, she spun around and gently bumped Molbrin and Arianna with her muzzle.

"Molbrin, Arianna, wake up! It's land! We're gonna get off this raft!" she barked excitedly, trying to stir her siblings into excitement so that they could have enough energy to get up.

It didn't take Arianna long. She blinked awake, grumbled under her breath, but then flipped onto her belly and raised her head high, wagging her tail. "Land? Where is it, Sis? I don't se-there it is!" The pup gasped, her mouth hanging agape, her chocolate eyes wide in uncertainty. "But Wild…that looks just like home did…"

"It's not home, Ari," Wild assured. "Remember? Home was all black and burned. This place has trees. See? Look past the beach." Wild raised one paw and pointed.

Arianna followed her sister's paw, lifting herself to her feet in order to get a better view. "Oh, I see them!" she gasped after a moment, bouncing a little in her happiness.

Molbrin, who was just now beginning to stir from all the commotion, grunted and stretched, his claws quietly raking the thin planks of the raft. "What is it…land?" he mumbled, dragging himself to his feet to stand on Wild's opposite side. He scanned the approaching shore warily for a moment, then tilted his head. "Hey Wild? Why is there snow on the ground? It's the middle of the second season…"

Wild furrowed her brow, squinting against the sun's reflection to see past the sand. Sure enough, Molbrin was right; beyond the sandy terrain of the beach, she could see the glistening pure white of snow, and yet every last tree was still green. It was very confusing, but at the same time it was very ominous, and Wild felt her stomach tighten with unruly dread as she gazed at the odd spectacle. "I don't know…" she answered honestly. "Maybe we've gotten farther away from home than we thought."

The three stood in silence, watching the new shore slowly inch nearer and nearer until at last, with a slight jostling of the raft, they ran aground and the three pups lept nimbly off of the raft onto the sand. Wild immediately turned and trotted back out, grabbing the raft in her jaws and tugged it in, anchoring it on the beach.

"Why are you doing that?" Arianna wondered, puzzled.

"So that if this place isn't safe either, we'll still have a way to leave," Wild explained.

"Well, this time, if we have to leave, can we at least hunt a caribou first and take it with us?" Wild chuckled at Molbrin's inquiry. Even if the young wolf was still too small to fully think things through logically, he did present fairly good ideas at times.

"A caribou might weigh us down, Mol," Wild explained gently. "But I'll tell you what; I'll see what sorts of things I can find here that are lightweight, and I'll stock up. Then maybe we can keep a little bit of meat with us, and then keep all the lightweight stuff so we'll have something to eat other than fish. Is that okay?"

Molbrin nodded, looking a bit disappointed, but accepting. "Sure…what do we do now?"

"We need to try to find someone, maybe someone who can help us…at least find someone so we can determine whether or not this place is hostile." The two smaller pups nodded, and Wild slowly began to walk up the beach toward the snowy beyond. Molbrin and Arianna followed close behind, each of them lightly pressed against Wild's flanks.

Wild kept her ears pricked, her eyes and nose alert, and her footfalls as silent as she knew how. She was a very stealthy wolf, and was excessively cautious. The air was full of unfamiliar scents, the only known scent to Wild being the snow and the faint sweet underscent of magic in the very air of the land. Slowly, Wild left the open security of the beach and strode into the snowy wilderness, almost immediately feeling an eeriness in the atmosphere. There were no birds singing, not even any winter birds. It was very unsettling, and Molbrin and Arianna now walked beneath Wild's belly between her front and hind paws.

As they came upon a clearing, Wild decided it would be best to cross right through the center; there was something about these woods that she didn't like at all. It seemed as though the feelings of danger were coming from the trees, but that couldn't have been right, could it? What could trees possibly do? Sure they were alive, but they couldn't move or grab innocent passers by…or so she thought. They got about halfway across the clearing without incident, but just as they were passing over the halfway mark, a tree suddenly rustled without a breeze or a creature to encourage the sound. Wild's ears pricked even higher and she bristled from nose to tail. Truth be told, she didn't know how to fight…she only knew how to carry her brother and sister and run. The rustle came again and she spun around faster than she could process herself, but even that was too late.

With a flash of misty white light and a yowl of fear, Molbrin was gone. Wild spun in rapid circles, calling out for him, but there was only silence. Arianna whimpered, crouched low on the snow, flat on her belly. Another rustle sounded from the other side, and that was all Wild needed. She wanted desperately to go find Molbrin, but she knew she had to save Arianna. In one swift move, she snatched Arianna up by the scruff of her neck and spun around again, thinking that she was heading back toward the beach, but she was actually going deeper into the thick woods. She bolted, flying like lightning, her paws kicking up snow as she ran. She could feel something chasing her, but she was too afraid to look back. Instead, she kept running, pushing herself as hard as she could until her muscles burned and her lungs ached. Still she ran, determined to keep herself and Arianna safe, at the very least.

Eventually the something pursuing her slipped away, but she didn't notice. She was too panicked, and only crashing into something else would stop her advancements, and that's precisely what happened. Without warning, something huge and dark was ahead of her and she slammed into it with a loud and stunning thwack! Lying on her back, seeing spots and stars, Wild slowly lifted her gaze as the things enormous shadow fell over her. She closed her eyes, anticipating the death blow. She had saved her siblings from the Dark Ones, only to seal their fates with this new terror…this new dark thing. She could feel it leaning closer to her, feel its hot breath grazing her fur. Yes, this was it…they were going to die.

A/N: Yee haw! Chapter 1's up and done! YES! I'm so excited! I hope you like it so far. I know it really didn't give much in the ways of personalities, and don't worry; Molbrin will show up later. He's the main character of this story, so don't worry, he'll be back! Please review, and tell me at least what you think so far of what I've given you.

Oh, and just a warning for my future readers…I'm a huge fan of cliffhangers, so anticipate some sort of cliffhanger at the end of most of my chapters! The way I see it, it's just another way to keep you reading! ;P

R&R, and I promise to keep going and give out lotsa candy at the beginning of the next chapter! Hahaha.


	2. Welcome, Newcomer

A/N: Weee! Chapter 2 rises from the ashes of chapter 1! Yes, I know that was a bit random and off, but recall the mention of a touch of insanity at the end of my profile if you've read it. ;)

So, because I failed to mention it and for anyone who is wondering, if any readers ask questions in reviews, I will gladly present the answers in the author note/notes for the following chapter. You see, I also have just a tiny problem with the PM system. It would be just fine, except it doesn't tell me when or if the message was successfully sent, so I can't tell if I got that security code thing right. So if I ever initiate a PM with anyone and you get like three of them…it's not my fault. I'm just trying to make sure it gets to you. Lol So unless it's something really private that you don't want others to see, please just ask in a review and I'll reply as best I can.

Yay! I got reviews from my first chapter! Success to the almighty cliffhanger! XD Micale, Purple One, and MissVenusVixen, I hope you'll keep reading! *blows kisses and tosses candy as promised*

OK, so on with chapter 2. Molbrin is gone, and there's some huge black thing hunching over Wild and Arianna! Let's see what it is…*spooky music*

Chapter 2

Welcome, Newcomer

Wild froze, not even trembling anymore as she felt the thing sniffing at her shoulder. The creature's scent filled her nostrils; it was strange, somewhat musky but had an overall pleasant sweetness to it. Arianna was trembling violently, still held in her sister's mouth and squeezed between her larger front paws. Wild wasn't going to let go. If this thing was going to kill them, then it was going to kill her and let Arianna go. That was just how it had to be. Molbrin was already gone, taken by Shasta knows what, and if she was going to be a yummy truffle for this monster, then Arianna should at least make it further than either of them did. Maybe this thing had sent that weird flash of light that had taken Molbrin? Maybe if she opened her eyes, she would see this thing dripping with her brother's blood and there would truly be no escape from this hell they had entered? No, they hadn't entered this hell…she had landed them here.

"Who are you for?"

The thing abruptly spoke, and Wild wished it hadn't. It had a deep, gravelly voice that carried a constant sort of growling undertone. It was obviously male, and the sound of its voice dissolved Wild's resolve and resurrected her terror. But also, it aroused her confusion. "Wh…what?" she stammered through her teeth, still refusing to let go of Arianna.

"Who are you for?" the male something repeated. "Jadis or Aslan?"

Wild remained motionless, lost beyond belief. Who was Jadis, and who was Aslan? "I…I don't know," she pleaded quietly. "Who are they?"

There was a slight sigh, but whether it was of understanding or frustration, she couldn't tell. "You are not from this land, are you?"

Wild shook her head. "You're…not going to eat ush, are you?" she asked fearfully, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"If I was, don't you think I would have by now?" he asked, the tiniest sound of a smirk in his tone.

"Unlesh you want ush cooked firsht," Wild argued, now forgetting that her eyes were still closed.

"Well, if you would open your eyes and look at me, you would see that I am monstrous, but I have no intention of eating you."

Hesitantly, Wild cracked one eye to peek up at the something. Immediately, both her eyes shot wide open in an expression of shock, slight fear, and fascination. Arianna's expression mirrored her sister's. The creature was a gigantic cat! He was black as the space between the stars, and he stood on his hind legs, absently carving a piece of a log with his claws, which he held in his paws as though they were hands. His fur was long and thick, somewhat shaggy, and he had a large bushy tail. His ears were large and sharply pointed, and his eyes were a liquid golden yellow. His canines protruded from his mouth like vampire fangs, and the claws on both his hand-paws and his hind paws, though retracted, were clearly visible…they were just that long. He wore some sort of pack over his left shoulder, and the chunk of wood he was working on was now quite shapely. He was creating some sort of bird out of it, and the craftsmanship that Wild could see was incredible. He looked away from his work to peer down at her, and then Wild could see a much smaller velvet pouch of some sort hanging around his neck. He must have been at least nine feet tall!

Slowly, Wild rolled over and stood up, placing Arianna between her front paws and studied the stranger closely, now oddly at ease. Perhaps it was his eyes, predatory yet gentle, or maybe it was the outright contradiction between his appearance and his tone versus his artistic activity. Whatever it was, Wild already felt extremely safe, and she knew he was not the one who had taken Molbrin. "If…if you don't mind my asking, sir…what are you?" she asked, immensely curious.

He chuckled. "My race has no official name, but many of the villages and smaller beings call us a catsquatch."

"A what?" Arianna asked, giggling a little at the sound of the term.

The catsquatch snickered. "A catsquatch, little one. Because we seem to be a hybrid between a sasquatch and a cat, however we are purely feline. My name is Abyss. Who are you two?"

"I'm Wild, and this is my sister, Arianna. Have you seen my brother? He's about her size, and he's really dark gray with some white on his chest and underside? He was just with us a short distance back, at least, I think it's a short distance…anyway, something took him."

Abyss frowned, his eyes apologetic. "No, you two are the first wolves I've seen since I left camp. Did you see what took him?"

"No; all I saw was a flash of white light and he was gone. Then the bushes rustled next to me so I grabbed Arianna and ran. Something was chasing us, but it stopped…and then I ran into you."

Abyss nodded knowingly. "Druid," he said simply.

"What's a druid?"

"It's a tree spirit. It was probably one of the witch's." Abyss tucked the little carving into a small pocket on his shoulder pack and readjusted it, lowering himself onto all fours. "Come on; your brother is in terrible danger. We have to get back to camp to make it known that another innocent has been captured."

Wild paused, worried, then gently picked Arianna back up and trotted alongside Abyss, eyeing each tree uneasily as they passed by. "Are they all dangeroush?" she asked, through her teeth again.

"No, not all of them…just some of them. Most of Aslan's trees went to sleep not long after Jadis showed up, so most of the trees are harmless. If it were one of Aslan's druids, it would have approached and addressed you, rather than sneaking up behind you. Now, where did you come from?"

Wild twisted her head around, placing Arianna on her back between her shoulders so that she could speak more clearly. Arianna curled up in a small ball, nestling herself comfortably into her sister's fur. "Across the ocean," she explained. "Our home was ravaged and destroyed. So far as we know, we're all that remain of our land."

"What was its name? Perhaps someone at camp might know of it and be able to tell if anyone else remains."

Wild shook her head. "I never learnt its name. I don't know if it had an honorary name, but we've been adrift at sea for…" she paused, uncertain, "…six days, I think. We've just sort of been drifting with the current."

Abyss nodded. "We can still ask. I'm sure someone will know something. If no one else, Luciano would probably know."

"Luciano?" Wild echoed, curious.

Abyss nodded. "Yes, the Fire Element. He can take whatever form he wishes, but mostly his chosen form is a red dragon. He often times flies across the oceans to other lands, extending alliance offers on behalf of the kings and queens."

"Don't you mean the king and queen?" Arianna inquired, confused about his use of the plural.

Abyss chuckled. "No, little one. Narnia has two kings and two queens, all four of which are here in the camp with the troops."

Wild nodded slowly, her brow furrowing slightly. This new land…Narnia…seemed so strange. How would they ever get Molbrin back if there were four royalties? Wild remembered a story her mother had told her once, about how her grandfather had once been taken prisoner during a war, but by the time anyone was able to go rescue him, he had already been killed because the royals had to decide first whether the risk should be taken. She sighed, worried as they strode into a wide open break in the trees and onto the edge of Aslan's camp.

Abyss rose onto his hind legs again and, with a booming roar that nearly skinned the wolf sisters alive, he shouted, "Newcomers!"

* * *

><p>Molbrin trembled like a leaf, clutched by the scruff of his neck. The transparent devil woman who had taken him from his sisters had already told him he was going to one of two things: his death or his training. He didn't know what this had meant, for he was far too young to be trained for battle, Wild had told him so. She had told him that he wouldn't be able to fight or be trained for it until he was at least eight seasons in age. He was only two and a half seasons old, he couldn't fight! His golden eyes darted back and forth frantically as the woman carried him onto a stone courtyard, barren and riddled with imposing stone statues. She didn't slow down, striding purposefully to the front hall of the castle, where a vicious-looking wolf met her with a barking order to halt. She obeyed, though she was still smirking.<p>

The wolf was Mirani, the captain of the Secret Police. She was white and light gray, and her entire body was decorated with battle scars of varying size and severity, a few of them clearly freshly healed. "What is your business, Ornala?" Mirani growled, eyes narrowing.

Ornala merely extended Molbrin toward the scarred captain. "I found this runt in the woods, brought him for the Queen." Molbrin blinked, his trembling subsiding somewhat. Should he really be afraid if he was to fight for the Queen? That was a very high honor, and only the most promising of warriors would ever even see the Queen's domain, much less be brought inside. He calmed somewhat, but the foreboding atmosphere still kept him on edge. "There were two others, but they fled before I could catch them. I thought I saw one of ours in the bushes where they were headed, so I just let them go. He'll catch them."

Mirani growled in understanding and stepped forward, snatching Molbrin roughly from Ornala's grip. "I will inform the Queen of your service. Leave."

Ornala glared suspiciously for a moment, but then simply sniffed and turned away, disappearing through the stone wall. Mirani turned as well, carrying Molbrin down a side corridor branching off the main hall. She climbed the stairs to the upper floor and sat outside a grand doorway. She dropped the pup onto the floor and slapped a paw over his chest to keep him in place. "Your Highness," she called, her tone suddenly much softer, almost feeble. "I have a parsel for your judgement."

It was still for a moment, but then a tall and rather beautiful woman stepped from the room, stopping mere feet from the two wolves. Molbrin gazed up at her in awe, completely disbelieving the fact that he was actually in a Queen's presence. She looked down at him, her expression cold and passive as she studied him.

"Let him up," she ordered, and Mirani obeyed, removing her paw from Molbrin's chest. She eyed him closely…a test. Molbrin remained on his back in the universal wolf gesture of submission, waiting to be given permission or orders to rise. Her features softened ever so faintly; she seemed pleased. "Get up, young one." Molbrin obeyed, slowly rising to his feet, keeping his head low and his tail tucked in respect. "Who are you?"

"M-Molbrin, your majesty," Molbrin stuttered, still in awe of her.

"And where did you come from?"

"Across the oceans, ma'am. Please…please don't kill me, your majesty…I may be too young to train, but I promise I'll serve you well if you please spare my life and my sisters-"

"Sisters?" the woman interrupted. "You have sisters?"

Molbrin nodded. "Y-yes ma'am…but…I don't know where they are…the woman who brought me here left them behind."

"Woman?" Jadis asked, quirking a brow at Mirani.

Mirani growled faintly at the pup; she was going to receive credit for the pup's capture, but he just couldn't keep his mouth shut! "Ornala brought him, Your Highness," she explained grudgingly. "She claimed they were running right toward another of ours, so she let them go because she couldn't keep up. He probably caught them and is on his way at this very moment."

Jadis nodded faintly, returning her attention to Molbrin. "You said you will serve me well if I spare you. I see great potential in you, Molbrin. You will be trained, starting tomorrow."

Molbrin blinked, his eyes widening. "Not to be rude, ma'am, but…I'm too young to be trained, I'm only two and a half seasons old…"

"Can you chew your food?" Jadis asked crossly.

"Yes…but-"

"Then you can be trained to fight. Your training begins tomorrow, no complaints!"

Molbrin nodded quickly, afraid of angering her. "Yes your majesty…forgive me…"

Jadis nodded. "Very good. Joran!" she shouted, turning to peer further down the hall. Molbrin glanced in the same direction, his blood running cold at the figure he saw. The largest wolf he had ever seen prowled out of the shadows, his fur an exotic swirl of black and gray. Jadis pointed to the still crouching Molbrin. "Your new underling. You will train him starting tomorrow."

Joran dipped his head and turned to stare down at Molbrin, the weight of his observation feeling like a ton of bricks on Molbrin's head. "Come, pup," Joran growled, his tone not unkind, but cold and flat. With one last bow of his head in Jadis's direction, Molbrin followed Joran down the long corridor and back into the shadowy section of the castle from which he came.

* * *

><p>AN: Chapter 2 is done already? Wow, this fanfic's coming a lot more easily than I thought it would. Lol Isn't Molbrin cute? If Abyss said anything that confuses you, don't fret, everything shall be explained all in good time. There are many new characters yet to come, and many dramatic, tragic, and altogether fantastic twists to unfold!

R&R, if you please, R&R, and I'll give ya some cheese! XD Yes, I'm aware that cheese may not be the best followup for candy, but hey, people eat it with wine, don't they? ;)

B/N: As FFN doesn't seem to like Amelia, she has jolly ol' me to help her out. So if you spot any mistakes (spelling, missing words, etc), please don't hesitate to tell us, and we'll fix it right away. ^_^ -M.P.O.

Edited 11/19/2011


	3. Aslan's Camp

A/N: Wuh-oh, looks like trouble on one end! Wild and Arianna are about to meet the real kings and queens while poor little Molbrin is being trained under Joran for the evil false queen! How can this possibly end well? Well, let us find out, shall we?

Just a warning…there will have to be a time jump, probably after this chapter in order for the plot to continue without running through a bunch of boring chapters of brutal training and simple changes through growth, if ya know what I mean. It probably won't be an enormous time jump, but big enough that the pups are full grown and in their proper positions. What do I mean by "proper positions", you ask? Well, you'll see if you keep reading. ;)

Yes! I'm going to see Breaking Dawn Part 1 tomorrow! For anyone who doesn't know, Breaking Dawn is the fourth book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. The fourth book is being made in two movies like Deathly Hallows was, which I think is perfect because if they tried to cram it all into one film, important or very entertaining elements would have to be cut out! Yay! I can't wait!

Thank you reviewers! Purple, Micale…here's your cheese! Oh, and here's the wine for you, Micale. Lol I didn't know what kind you like, so I shot for strawberry. ;P Hahaha, get it? Shot? XD

*English accent* Onward, to the next chapter! Off you go then!

Chapter 3

Aslan's Camp

Everyone in the camp gathered around as Abyss approached with the newcomers. The entire atmosphere was excited, curious and hopeful. There were quite a few wolves around, along with fawns, satyrs, a few dwarves, animals that Wild typically ate for dinner back home, and several other creatures Wild couldn't put a name to. The crowd began to part, and four humans made their way through the crowd to meet the newcomers. Wild had nothing to recognize them as the kings and queens with as far as their clothing went, but by the way the crowd parted respectfully and the fact that they were two male and two female, she deduced that they must have been royalty.

Abyss dipped his head low in respect as they approached and, wanting only to be on good terms with these strangers, Wild and Arianna did the same. "Abyss, you have returned early?" the elder female said, smiling though her eyes betrayed her puzzlement.

"Yes, Queen Susan," Abyss replied respectfully. "These two pups ran into me in the forest. I believe one of Jadis's druids kidnapped their brother."

"Oh, you poor things!" squeaked the younger woman, who they would come to know as Queen Lucy.

The eldest male, King Peter, suddenly frightened the fur off the two by unsheathing one of his swords and pressing the tip to Wild's throat. The two queens gasped in alarm, but the other king, King Edmund, remained fairly calm. He knew what this was about. So did the queens, but he still upset them when he did this, for the two women had a keen eye for innocence. "Who are you for?" Peter demanded.

_This again?_ Wild thought, though her face was a mask of terror and placation. Abyss glanced at the high king, his eyes somewhat alarmed. "My Lord, they are not from Narnia," he explained. "They know not who Jadis or Aslan are. They come from over the ocean."

Peter paused, then put his sword away. "Forgive me, stranger," he apologized, looking somewhat ashamed of himself. "We have had impostors enter the camp before, and we had to develop some sort of method to tell who was true and who was deceptive. What are your names?"

Wild couldn't answer for a moment, speechless in her fear, her whole body trembling. Arianna whimpered, curled into a tight ball between her shoulders. Lucy stepped forward slowly and reached out, gently touching the quivering pup's side. "There there, we aren't going to hurt you. It's okay."

Wild tried to look at the softspoken queen, but her eyes were glued to the king who had threatened her life. Susan turned to glare at Peter. "I told you that was a bad idea! You never listen to me! Now they're so afraid of you they can't even talk to us!"

"Like you had a better idea at the time," Peter shot back, still feeling bad. He looked back down at Wild and knelt to her level, his voice softening. "I really am sorry. You just looked so strange that I thought for sure Jadis might have created you as one of her spies. I'm Peter, this is my brother Edmund, and my sisters, Susan and Lucy."

Wild finally found her voice, though it came out very quiet and unsure. "It's okay…I'm Wild, and this is Arianna. Abyss is right…we're not from this land…Narnia, right?" Peter nodded. "I'm sorry if we intruded, but we were adrift for days, and I had to find my siblings some fresh water, so we came ashore, but then our brother got taken and…I was running from that thing when I ran into Abyss…we would gladly leave here in peace, but I can't leave my brother and-"

"No, you don't have to leave," Lucy gently interrupted. "You are more than welcome to stay here with us. We have no quarrels with oversea kingdoms."

"Well…our kingdom never took kindly to outsiders coming ashore without written permission, so…" Wild hung her head, the painful memories rushing back. Her eyes welled up with tears, but she gulped them back so that she wouldn't upset Arianna.

Lucy stroked Wild's shoulder. "Don't worry, it's okay. We'll do whatever we can to help get your brother back, right Peter?"

Peter nodded. "You bet. We've lost a brother to the witch in the past as well, but we got him back. We'll do what we can…but I'm afraid it's up to us."

Susan gave him a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

"Aslan left this morning," Peter informed. "He said he didn't know when he would be back, and for us to handle things with help from the Elements while he's gone."

"So we're on our own?" Lucy asked, somewhat concerned.

"With help from the Elements," Peter repeated. "We'll be fine."

Edmund, who had been silent up until now, stepped closer. "He's right, Lu. We handled things on our own when we thought Aslan was dead, didn't we? We'll figure something out."

The others nodded, and Abyss spoke up again. "I told them that perhaps Luciano might know what kingdom they are from since he travels overseas all the time extending alliance offers. She claimed that she never learned their home's name. I must go for now."

Peter nodded. "Yes, before Jadis gets suspicious, you best get along. Thank you for escorting them here."

Abyss nodded, and Wild gaped at him for a moment, somewhat afraid again. He glanced at her and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I work undercover. I served the witch when I was a cub, but I joined with Aslan's side and never told the witch, so now I am an undercover officer for the kings and queens. I was just out hunting when you ran into me, so if I am gone too long, she will get suspicious. I'll see if I can find your brother, and if possible, I'll break him out."

Wild stared up at the enormous feline, her eyes misty once again, but this time out of gratitude. "Thank you, Abyss," she thanked softly, overwhelmed. The big cat nodded, smiling again and turned, disappearing rapidly into the foliage. Wild, turned back to the kings and queens, but now there were four others behind them, also two male and two female. Wild furrowed her brow, confused. "Pardon my rudeness, but…who are they?" she asked, her voice quiet enough to be a whisper.

Lucy smiled. "They're the four Elements, also known as Aslan's children. That's Snowfire, earth, Icis, wind, Poseidon, water, and Luciano, fire." As they were introduced, each of the Elements dipped their heads in greeting. Currently, they were all in human form, though they all had their own chosen form.

Snowfire was tall and beautiful, having glittering sky blue eyes and pure white hair that fell to her waist. She also had snowy white wings, which had caused Wild to at first presume that she was the Wind. Icis, equally beautiful, had silky brown hair that cascaded down her back in a somewhat wavy pattern, actually resembling a lion's mane. Her eyes momentarily unnerved Wild, as they were a twinkling silver, but she had no pupils. Poseidon was a lanky sort of man, but Wild could tell he was built for speed. He had shaggy black hair that held a sort of bluish tint to it and very dark blue eyes, a sharp contrast to Snowfire's eyes. Luciano had reddish orange hair that was kept rather neat, but curled in a firelike manner, and his eyes were bright orange with a slight touch of red. They were very exotic, and Wild had to force herself not to stare into them. Arianna, just as perplexed as her sister, gave voice to the question on Wild's mind, both relieving and embarrassing her.

Focusing on Snowfire and Icis, she blurted, "How come you two look like your opposite element?"

The sisters glanced at each other and smiled, impressed at the pup's perception. "We look more like our elements in our chosen forms, though Snow still has her wings," Icis explained, her voice whispy and soft, but clear as a bell.

"Zat's right," Snowfire agreed, her voice holding an accent that was a mixture of a French and a German accent. "Ve chose zese forms as a means to lure our enemies into believing zat we are ze opposites of vaht ve really are. It has verked many times."

Wild was amazed. "Wow…" She blinked as a light breeze began to blow, but it was only whirling around herself and Arianna. Wild turned in a small circle, a bit afraid. Was that witch lady casting a spell on her? "What…what's going on? Wind doesn't blow like this!"

"It does when Icis looks at you," Edmund explained with a chuckle.

Wild blinked. "Huh?"

The wind stopped and Icis smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm blind, so I use the air around me to see. Your sister's cute."

Wild stared, absolutely thrown for a loop. "You're blind?"

Icis nodded, looking proud. "Yep, I sure am." She stretched her arms out in front of her and curled her fingers, her hands momentarily becoming feline paws, the claws extending and retracting as she flexed her "fingers". After the briefest of moments, the paws were hands again. "But I can still fly, fight, and recognize people without them having to speak because I can see them clear as day with the wind around me."

"Wow…that's…amazing!" Arianna exclaimed, bounding off of Wild's back to run over to Icis. "Can you tell what color I am with the wind too?"

"Arianna!" Wild scolded, afraid of insulting anyone.

Arianna hung her head, but Icis laughed. "Don't worry, she's fine. No, I can't see color. I can only see the shape and features of someone, but it's all in a sort of three dimensional shadow world. I can actually sense auras as well, which is my main method of recognizing others. Everyone has a different aura, so even if you look just like someone, I'll still know it's you. Unfortunately, I can't name any of the colors, so I can't describe them to anyone. I just have to show them."

"You can show people their auras?" Arianna asked, still utterly dumbstruck.

Wild shook her head slightly, amused at her sister's entertainment. The rest of the day was spent learning the names of everyone in the camp as well as deciding what to do if Abyss couldn't free Molbrin. Upon learning from a fox named Cringe that it was perfectly acceptable for females to fight in the war, Wild and Arianna had immediately told the kings and queens that they wanted to fight, and they were both at once placed under Snowfire's training. Snowfire was the best choice to train them, as her chosen natural form was a wolf with wings. Her wolf form was pure white with a single silvery gray cross shape on her forehead. The lower point of the cross dropped down between her eyes and ran partway down her muzzle to her nose, making it look more like the classic holy symbol. She had a very rigorous training technique, but Wild and Arianna proved to be very exceptional students. The two sisters trained hard, even practicing with one another when their training was done for the day. They didn't have the slightest clue what exactly they were getting into or what a big war they had fallen into, but they knew one thing for certain…the one thing that kept them going, fighting harder and harder every day, becoming warriors…they _would_ get their brother back.

A/N: OK, so as stated, when chapter 4 begins, time will have passed. I'm thinking perhaps six or seven months. I know you haven't seen enough of Poseidon and Luciano just yet, but please, tell me what you think of Icis and Snowfire so far. If you can't say anything about Snowfire, at least tell me what your impression of her is. That's it! Tell me what you think of Icis's basic character line, and tell me what your first impression of Snowfire and, if possible, Poseidon and Luciano is, OK? I love hearing what people think of my characters, and it really helps me to edit or improve character personalities if need be. So let me know!

There will be a bit more action come the next chapter, so don't worry. :D The introduction in the beginning is always the slowest part for me, but once it starts to get into the real plot and things start happening, it really speeds up. So hang in there, those of you who have been loyal thus far! I promise it's gonna get really good in the next few chapters!

Just a note for future reference, I actually wrote out Snowfire's accent here so that you can get a sense of what she really sounds like, but in future chapters, I may forget to spell it out like I did here. Lol Sometimes I get so caught up in the writing itself, I forget little things like that, but I always proofread my works at least twice, so if I forget, chances are I'll catch it and fix it when I proofread it. But in case I ever do, just remember that she still has the accent. If I decide to only spell out accents once, I'll let you know because sometimes it can get a little hard to tell exactly what a thickly-accented character is trying to say with JAWS, and I don't want to confuse my fellow blind friends out there. So, if there is ever an accent that you can't read, just let me know and I'll give a translation for what was said because I'm a nice person. ;P

X's & O's to you all!


	4. Step Up, Maugrim

A/N: Chapter 4! This is going nicely. I've always got at least the next two chapters written and waiting when I publish a new chapter, but I try to wait at least three or four days because I want to see how many reviews I can get. For those of you who have read, reviewed, marked me or my story as one of your favorites, or any combination of the four, tell your friends! I'm one of these people who will keep the material coming as long as I know people are interested. If you read but don't review, how will I know that you did? I'll keep adding chapters, but if I get into, say, chapter ten and I'm still only hearing from two people…hard to say. And I'm not one to drop things unfinished, folks! :D Especially with my writing, what gets started absolutely MUST be finished…unless, you know, for whatever reason it just utterly cannot be done. But I'd love to see this story completed and well-liked, so please keep reviewing!

Oh. My. Gosh…Breaking Dawn was friggin' AWESOME! I knew it was gonna be awesome, but it was like…mondo awesome! Definitely recommend it to you guys. Although, if you haven't, you'd want to see the first three movies first. ;P Either way, it was a-ma-zing!

As stated, this chapter begins after a time jump. It's now been approximately a year since the events in chapter 3, and the three siblings are now fully grown (in size if not in actual age, but Wild is because she was already older). This is the chapter where things begin to unfold a bit more, and questions as well as answers begin to pop into existence. Another warning for my writing style: the way my stories go, I'll present you with 3 puzzling questions, two of the three will be answered, but then another question will pop up to replace the two answered ones, so there's a constant sense of mystery until the very end. While I may leave you wondering throughout the whole thing, know that I will never leave you in doubt at the end. I will never leave major questions unanswered. Again, you just have to keep reading. *grins*

OK, here we go! Prepare to see the adultified siblings!

Chapter 4

Step Up, Maugrim

Wild strode peacefully along the edge of the camp, presently in her human form. Like her wolf form, she still had her emerald eyes in her human form, and her hair was brown, though it seemed to have different shades of brown when under the sunlight. Her skin was a lovely tan color, not too dark but not pale either, and she was a rather ethereal beauty. In the year they had been in Narnia, she had grown to deeply appreciate the land around her as well as notice the true underlying beauty which it held. It was wintery and cold, but even in the sense of urgency and constant unease, it was relaxing. In addition to coming to admire the land, Wild had also become quite adept at remaining alert, and she and Arianna both had risen through the ranks rather quickly. As luck would have it, the two sisters turned out to be absolutely exceptional fighters, and they both now held the position of captain, though for different sectors of the army. Arianna worked more with the two-legged warriors, while Wild kept herself over the actual animals, or creatures who moved on all fours and fought with teeth and claws. However, they had both been trained to the fullest extent of their abilities, so they were also very handy with swords and the like.

Wild inched a bit closer to the foliage as she walked, allowing her outstretched fingers to lightly caress over the fronds of the bushes, her gaze leveled straight ahead in thought. It had been about a year since that druid had taken Molbrin, and the two sisters had eventually assumed him to be dead. As a result of this unwilling acceptance, they had lost part of their outgoing nature, and kept most of their emotions at a standstill. It made them both intimidating as warriors and masters of logical thought, analysis and deduction. They truly were forces to be reckoned with, and they had the whole camp's respect.

As she came full circle around the camp, returning to her starting point for the fifteenth time in the last hour of her shift, she nodded to a muscular older wolf. He was mostly dark brown with a bit of white on his tail and neck. "It's your shift now, Exabior."

Exabior dipped his head and rose from his relaxed position with some of the other wolves in the pack. "Yes, Wild. Have you eaten? There is a lovely broth near Cringe's tent that Queen Susan brewed."

Wild nodded, angling herself toward the center of camp. "I have not, but thank you for the information. Be sure to keep an extra close eye on the northeastern end of camp; that's the general direction of Jadis's castle."

Exabior dipped his head again and broke into a steady trot. "Will do."

Wild made her way into the center of camp, easily locating the pot of soup Exabior had mentioned and ladled herself a bowl, settling on a nearby log bench to watch the goings on, her thoughts occupied as had become the norm. She sipped the soup quietly, the warmth causing her whole body to tingle as it hit her stomach. After a short spell, Arianna appeared from within their tent and came to sit next to her. "I think the temperature is actually a half degree warmer today," she commented with an heir of comical sarcasm.

"It's just the soup," Wild replied simply, taking another sip. "It warms your blood and makes the wind a little less icy."

"If you say so," Arianna said with a faint smirk. "Another uneventful scout, I presume?"

Wild sighed. "Training is all well and good, but I'm just so angry lately and I have no real way to let it out. If I let it out in training, I'll kill someone. In all honesty, I wish someone would just attack or something so I could let loose and go berserk."

Arianna nodded, understanding her sister's suffering. "I know how you feel. I thought we were going to get lucky last month, but it was just that silly marshwiggle again. He makes so much noise when he's coming it's impossible to identify him as a friend or a charging enemy."

"I know…I wanted to kill him just for that."

"At least his unstoppable pessimism would finally have been justified," Arianna joked, and in a rare moment of perfect humor, the two burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Wild jabbed her sister's shoulder, knocking her off the log and into the snow. "You're so coldhearted!" she spat through her laughter.

Arianna smirked proudly up at Wild, getting up and replacing herself back onto the bench, "Careful how you address me. I'll spill your soup," she warned.

Wild snorted. "First of all, that's just plain wasteful, and second of all, that's what gigantic pots and the option of refills are for."

"Is there anything that gets to you anymore?"

"I believe your jest referring to the marshwiggle just did, dear sister…or did we both dream all that laughter?"

Arianna rolled her eyes. "And I'm the coldhearted one?"

"Careful how you address me," Wild mocked, "I'll spill your wine."

Arianna gasped, feigning dramatic shock. "Okay, now that _is_ just plain wasteful!"

"What, you don't like wine-stained snow? If you spill it just right and scoop it back into the goblet quickly enough, you can have a wine-flavored slushy."

"Not funny," Arianna snorted, shaking her head. "But seriously…nothing?"

Wild shook her head. "No, nothing. I'm starting to feel very uneasy. Jadis hasn't done anything for nigh on two months now. It's too quiet, too eerie. I don't like it."

Arianna nodded. "Should we scout further out, you think?"

"I think that's too dangerous. It's dangerous enough as it is, and we're in camp. If we dare to stray into the woods, Shasta only knows what might find us."

"You mean Aslan," Arianna corrected mildly.

Wild blinked and turned to Arianna, giving her an odd look. "What?"

"You said Shasta again. You mean Aslan."

"Oh…yeah…" Wild trailed off, staring sadly into her remaining soup.

Arianna frowned, regretting having said anything. She knew how much her sister missed their home, even though she herself couldn't remember much of anything about it. It meant a lot to her, and she knew Wild was having a hard time adjusting. She wrapped a comforting arm around Wild and rested her cheek against her shoulder. "Hey, I'm sorry," she apologized softly. "I didn't mean to upset you…it's just sort of a reflex, y'know?"

Wild nodded. "It's okay, Ari. I'm just…really homesick. Don't get me wrong, I love it here, and I'm glad we landed here rather than anywhere else…but I miss home. I miss Mom and Pop."

Arianna nodded. "I know…I do too. I don't even remember them, and I miss them." Wild merely nodded, quiet again. "Wild?" Wild finally tore her gaze from the lingering puddle of soup in the bottom of her bowl and turned her gaze to Arianna. "I don't mean to upset you even more, but…" She paused, and Wild nodded. "…Do you think there's any chance that Molbrin might still be alive somewhere?" Wild didn't answer; she simply gazed into Arianna's eyes for a long moment before looking away, turning her face to the sky and clouds above.

The Secret Police stalked through the woods, low growls occasionally rumbling out from one of the vicious wolves. They were hunting, both for prey and for recruits or prisoners. Mirani led the easily fifteen-strong pack into a prickly line of shrubs, where she abruptly barked the order for quiet. Just on the other side, there was a large centaur patrolling the area. He was heavily armored and propped a fierce battle axe over his shoulder. He was armed for a fight, and Mirani was the kind to start one.

Whether the centaur would be a victim or a meal was yet to be seen, and the group of wolves fanned out on either side of the pacing warrior, each eagerly awaiting the signal to close in and attack. They didn't have to wait long. Mirani feared that if they allowed him to progress too far, he would come upon others who would serve as reinforcements, and if that were to happen, they would be forced to leave him be. She was arrogant, and she was overconfident in her own power as well as the pack's, but she was not stupid. With an abrupt howl, she bolted out of her hiding place and lunged for the centaur's underside. With a sharp cry of surprise and effort, the centaur lifted his huge battle axe and swung it downward at a wolf which lunged for his throat. He hit it broadside and sent it careening through the air and against a nearby tree.

Another braver wolf, albeit stupider, ran straight for the centaur's hind legs, intending to disable its feet and bring it down. Expecting this, the centaur kicked violently just as the wolf lept at him, two very distinct cracks sounding from the unfortunate wolf as well as a loud yelp of agony. Mirani dodged the other kicking hoof and sank her teeth into the centaur's exposed stomach. He cried out in pain and reared back, managing to clunk Mirani's shoulders with one of his massive front hooves, forcing her to let go. Just as the centaur lowered back onto all fours, a large and tough wolf lept right onto his back, sinking his razor sharp canines into the beast's shoulder. With another cry, more of anger than pain this time, the centaur swung back his massive axe, but the wolf ducked just in time, then lunged back up and clamped his jaws tightly around the back of the creature's neck. At that same moment, as the axe had missed its initial target, the momentum kept it swinging and Mirani was caught in the backlash of the attack, dead before she even hit the snow.

After a brief death struggle, the mighty centaur fell in a heap on the snow and the pack began to devour him ravenously, all but one wolf. Joran, the huge black and gray wolf who had trained Molbrin ignored the carcass, instead slowly moving to Mirani's body and dipping his head in a moment of respect for the dead captain. After a significant silence penetrated only by the sounds of chewing and crunching, he raised his head again and turned to face the gorging wolves. "Maugrim!"

Instantly, the wolf in question lifted his head from the body and prowled to Joran's side, licking his chops clean. He was the one who had delivered the killing blow to the centaur, having been smart enough to attack from behind as well as from the side so as not to be kicked. "Joran?" he growled, gazing uncertainly down at Mirani's corpse.

Joran glanced at the body, then back to the young male. "You are Alpha now. You are captain. Step up, Maugrim."

Maugrim frowned. "Me? But…Joran…I'm not suited enough to be any captain, much less an alpha."

"You are," Joran growled. "Only the smartest wolf in the pack could ever have killed that beast alone the way you just did. Mirani was never a good captain for the Secret Police, and you saw her plan. She was cavorting about right under its hooves. How smart do you think that is? You were the second in command, Maugrim. Like it or not, you are captain now."

Maugrim paused, momentarily stunned into silence. He felt guilty, as though he had caused Mirani's death. He knew it wasn't true, and he had always hated her from the minute she had first pinned him before the Queen, but he still felt bad. Could he really be the captain? Could he manage a pack of fourteen wolves? He gazed down into Mirani's dead staring eyes, and even as his blood ran cold as ice, he knew he had to. His heart hardened just a little bit more and his features solidified into an expression of dominant coldness. Yes, he could be the captain…and he would. Woe unto the ones who dared to cross his path and defy him, and woe unto the ones who dared to look him in the eye. In that one moment, Maugrim changed drastically. He became at last what Joran had trained him to be…he was a killer.

A/N: Weee! Chapter 4 is now available for your absorption and review! Now let's see…what's a good followup for cheese and wine to hand out in chapter 5 if I get reviews for this one? I'm open for suggestions…if I get nothing suggestion-wise, then I'll just draw a random something out of my magic kimono and you guys can just pray it isn't something gross like brussel sprouts or straight black coffee…unless, y'know, you're someone who likes that sort of thing. Lol!

Either way, please review! If you have any thoughts or ideas for anything throughout the story, feel free to share/ask about them. I may not necessarily give you a straight answer because I don't want to give anything away about what's coming, but I'll definitely read and consider all entries! :D

R&R! *talks like E.T.* I'll…be…right…heerree…XD


	5. Things Are Different Now

A/N: OK guys, so here's what I'm thinking…

I need an idea for something to happen. I already have quite a few events and twists lined up for your enjoyment, but if you at any point in your reading have a random idea pop into your head, or even just a curiosity and you're like, "Hey, I wonder how that would play out…" don't hesitate to let me know! Because while I do have most of the plot already laid out before me, I always have room for ideas and twists, and I'm usually pretty good at applying them comfortably into the plot. So, if you have any ideas at all, anything awesome or tragic or even something that's just crazy, outrageous or even twisted…it's okay, just tell me because I might actually like it. ;P

Right, so the Secret Police has a new captain who has the potential to be even colder and meaner than Mirani. They're already trying to bust through the camp's defenses, and as Wild said, it's been very quiet for the past two months. Will this new captain lead them to victory, or will it only end in loss and tragedy? And whatever happened to cute little Molbrin? Did he do something wrong which resulted in his death, or is he alive somewhere…waiting to rise to his destiny?

Have I got your interest yet? *grins* Well…even if I haven't, read on anyway because you love me and my mysterious twisty ways. :D

There are 3 reasons why I'm adding two chapters in one day…

I just feel like doing something special because tomorrow's Thanksgiving, so happy Thanksgiving everyone! :D

2. I just found out yesterday that because I've done so well in my college course this semester, I don't have to go back to any classes after this Tuesday! My prof's gonna let me do my exam at home and submit it online instead of at school! So I technically have finished the course before everybody else in my class! Ha! ^_^

3. Umm…I had a 3rd reason…I think it was just because I feel like it and I can't wait to see what people think of this chapter and the action building. Yes, that sounds right…I think. Lol Oh well! Enjoy!

Chapter 5

Things Are Different Now

Arianna trotted through the foliage in her wolf form, her footfalls silent as a cat's. She was hunting, needing something to sate her wolf hunger. She liked the food in camp, but sometimes she just needed a fresh kill. As always, she was on high alert, and Wild had told her just to howl if anything went amiss and the pack would come running. Wild was a great leader for the animals, and though she was a great leader herself, Arianna only wished that she could be as skilled an instinctual fighter as her sister was. She caught the scent of a herd of elk and angled herself toward the source, dipping her head lower to track the scent more effectively.

As she grew closer to the herd, however, she began to feel some very powerful danger vibes. She didn't smell anything but the elk, but her warrior's danger sense was spiking way out of control. Unable to focus properly because of the blinding sense, Arianna prowled right past one of the Secret Police wolves, less than five yards away. She completely missed him, but he didn't miss her. Growling almost inaudibly, he hunched his shoulders and began to stalk behind her, slowly creeping in…closer…closer…

Without warning, a faint breeze blew through the trees from behind the two wolves, blowing the male's scent into Arianna's nostrils. She froze, her ears pricked and fur immediately bristling. There was a moment of absolute silence, but then in a flash, the two wolves were combined together in a tumbling, biting, snarling and bleeding mass of fur. It sounded brutal, and brutal it was. The herd of elk fled the scene the moment the fight began, and the battling wolves rolled into the clearing, leaving a splattery trail of red snow behind them. The male was the most vicious of his side, and Arianna was the second most vicious on her side. Wild was the most vicious animal fighter, and though Ari was just under her, it was just enough to give this male opponent an extreme advantage. Arianna wasn't used to fighting in this form, so she couldn't maneuver herself well enough to deliver a decent blow…or even to get herself on top of him, for that matter. He had her held down as they finally stopped rolling, and he was aiming for her throat.

Suddenly, however, an absolutely blood-curdling snarl came from just behind the male, and Arianna knew her savior had arrived. Wild had heard the commotion as well as sensed her sister's distress. Wild carried that sort of sixth sense, and it never failed. With a vicious snap of her jaws, she grabbed the male by the scruff of his neck and yanked him back, literally throwing him off of Arianna, sending him flopping onto the snow with a heavy thud. She crouched over Arianna, bristling madly and baring her teeth in a devastating grin.

"Get up, I dare you!" she barked ferociously, her jaws snapping audibly.

The male rolled onto his stomach, growling in pain and shook his head, lifting his face to stare at Wild. For a split second, he was defiant, cold and sadistic, but then his face changed. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped open, and he slowly stood up, completely sober now. "W-Wild…?" he uttered in disbelief, his voice soft, almost a whisper.

Wild paused, looking into his eyes for a moment, then quickly hid her teeth, her fur smoothing over again. She stared at him in awe, tears filling her eyes. "Molbrin?"

He blinked, even more shocked, but then he hung his head. "I…haven't been called by that name in ages…"

Wild frowned. "What do you mean?" Arianna was just starting to get up, deeply wounded from the fight. She stared at Molbrin, tears washing the blood away from her snout in thin trails.

Molbrin glanced once at Arianna and his head hung even lower, his nose touching the snow. He was ashamed beyond belief. He had nearly killed his own sister. "My name is Maugrim now. Nobody calls me Molbrin…Molbrin is dead."

Arianna growled faintly. "No he's not. We're looking at him right now. If you truly were a Maugrim, you would have attacked both of us; you wouldn't have stopped just because Wild threw you off of me."

Molbrin whimpered. "I'm so sorry, Arianna…so sorry…I…I couldn't see your eyes, I couldn't recognize you…"

"Don't worry about it…" Arianna grunted as she finally straightened completely. "You've been mixed up with the wrong crowd, Mol…they've got you believing lies, and you smell different-"

"Lies?" Molbrin suddenly barked, startling both of them. "I am serving the Queen of Narnia, Arianna. She's only trying to get her kingdom back from those false royals who stole it from her. You two have to come back with me. You're the ones fighting for the wrong side."

Wild and Arianna exchanged an uneasy glance. "Molbrin," Wild reasoned softly. "We've met the real kings and queens, and believe me, Jadis is a witch. She's no queen…"

Molbrin growled. "I'm sorry you've been tricked, Wild…but I'm telling you…you're with the wrong group. Tell me honestly: What kind of kingdom would have more than one king or more than one queen? That's just plain illogical. Why would more than one royal be necessary? It only takes one to make an order, and it only takes one other to agree."

"There is only one king," Arianna endeavored. "Aslan is the true king. The Pevensies are just named royalty by Aslan."

"But that's even crazier," Molbrin argued, getting frustrated. "If he's the king, why would he need to name others as royalty? Again, why would that even be necessary? Aslan isn't a king…he's a moocher who just wants to take over the Queen's land because he can't find or create any of his own."

Arianna snarled at him. "He did create Narnia!" she snapped, glaring at him defensively.

"Enough!" Wild shouted, and on puphood reflex, both siblings instantly silenced themselves. Wild stood silent for a moment, then spoke calmly. "Arianna, Molbrin's confused…don't be so sensitive over something that isn't his fault. And Molbrin, whether you believe us or not, just consider what we're trying to tell you. Ask yourself these questions: A, would your sisters ever lie to you? B, would a queen treat her loyal servants in the way that Jadis treats all of you? And C, how many of the things that she's told you actually add up? Look around yourself and think about what you see and what you have seen. She isn't the queen…she is no queen."

Molbrin was silent for a long time, but he finally shook himself out of his revery. He growled warningly, his tone intense. "I have to get back. Listen…I'm going to turn a blind eye this time…but I beg you, please don't let me find you out here alone again…if any of the pack is with me, I'll have to kill you. I don't want to be responsible for my only family's death. Please…just don't let me catch you again, okay?"

"Molbrin-" Arianna pleaded.

"Okay?" he repeated, more angrily this time. The two sisters were silent for a long time, just staring at him, but finally Wild nodded. Molbrin turned away, peering over his shoulder at them one last time. "Please try to understand. This is all I know. I can't betray her highness."

"But it's not all you know," Wild whispered softly. "I taught you better than this, and you know it."

Molbrin frowned, his eyes narrowing as he swallowed back the threatening tears. "I'm sorry Wild…but I just can't. Goodbye…and be careful."

And with that, he was gone.

A short time later, Wild and Arianna returned to camp, Wild in her human form and carrying Arianna in her wolf form, as she couldn't walk properly due to the pain of her wounds. As soon as she saw them, Snowfire rushed to help, her eyes wide with concern. "Vaht happened?" she asked worriedly.

"We found Molbrin," Wild said flatly, great sadness in her voice. "And he's the captain of the Secret Police…we tried to get him to come back, but…he thinks he's serving the queen and he wouldn't come…he just warned us not to let him catch us alone again."

"Or he'd have to kill us," Arianna added weakly.

"My…" Snowfire gasped under her breath, gently taking Arianna from Wild's arms. "Are you hurt badly? Shall I heal you?"

Arianna nodded. "If you please, Snowfire. I must be at my best…"

Snowfire nodded. "Of course. Vild, zehr is sumsing you need to know."

Wild blinked, looking up at Snowfire from where she knelt on the ground, using the snow to wash blood from her shirt. "What is it?"

"You must go speak to King Edmund at once. I do not know vaht it is, but he said zat it is important."

Wild nodded, rising from her knees. "Thank you. Take it easy, Ari, okay? I'll come check on you soon." Arianna nodded, and Wild headed for Edmund's tent, her mind racing. What could he want to talk to her about? Had something happened? Why would he report it to her, unless it had to do with one of her soldiers? She was concerned, to say the least. When she arrived at Edmund's blue tent, she lightly rapped on the outer tentpole. "Your highness, it's Wild. You wanted to see me?"

There was a pause, a slight rustling of movement, and then Edmund's voice came from within. "Yes, of course. Come in, Wild."

Wild stepped in, politely setting herself on a soft sort of stool just inside the flap. "Is everything all right? What's happened?"

"Nothing yet," Edmund replied, giving her a reassuring smile.

Wild quirked a brow. "Yet? That's not as reassuring as your smile…"

Edmund chuckled. "Sorry. Look, actually, we might need your help with something."

Wild's other brow quirked. "We?"

At that moment, from behind Edmund, Cringe the fox appeared. "Yes. You see, Wild, we've received word that there is a clan of deer halfway across Narnia, toward the northern mountains that may be able to help us in some way. Apparently, there is one among them who carries a vast knowledge of witchcraft magic, something it wouldn't hurt us to understand if we have any hopes of defeating Jadis. Cringe heard it from a bird, and since she knows that land, I've assigned her to go fetch the recruit, but I want you to go with her. I don't want to say it's for protection, because Cringe is a very capable warrior, but with your rank as well as your awareness skills, I think it would be better that way."

Wild nodded slowly, taking it in. She would have no trouble at all; she and Cringe actually got along extremely well, and it would be a synch to travel with her. "Sure."

"Also, for reasons of haste, I've asked Icis if she wouldn't mind transporting you."

In spite of her actual mood, Wild had to grin. In her chosen form, Icis was a huge and magnificent gryphon, and she was the fastest flyer in all the land…even faster than Luciano. Icis had once flone Wild and Arianna all the way to the far swamps of the forest and back to camp again in one day, even stopping for an hour to have lunch. The quest would take maybe two days tops if the recruit agreed immediately, but Wild was accounting for the possibility of deliberation. Wild nodded again. "Of course. Shall we leave today?"

"Yes," Cringe confirmed. "Icis is out catching fish to eat before we go, but she will be back shortly and then we'll leave."

Wild nodded. "All right. If you'll excuse me, your highness, I must take my leave. I have to check on Arianna as well as pack my bag."

"What happened?" Edmund asked, his brow furrowed in concern. Wild explained the whole story, including the conversation they had had with Molbrin. Edmund and Cringe both looked very sympathetic, and Cringe nuzzled Wild's hand comfortingly.

"Don't worry," she said softly. "I'm sure he'll see it in time. All of the truly pure ones do."

"That's just what I'm afraid of," Wild murmured, gazing grimly through the tent flap at the trees outside. "…What if Molbrin isn't pure?"

A/N: Ha ha! Tell me honestly…was that a great chapter or what? I can't help myself…I just love the way this one ended. XD Can't you just hear that cinema music effect going "bum bum bummmmm"? Ominous…;D

OK, so this chapter, you got to see a little more of Snowfire, and next chapter, you'll get to see a lot of Icis! As well as the new character who just might have a secret weapon against Jadis! Boy, didn't I tell you the story would start heating up in this chapter? *victorious grin* Mmhmm, I thought so. :D

Review, and tell me how you think this is going to turn out! And I bet a lot of you are gonna like Cringe. She's hardcore! You'll see what I mean. ^^

R&R! Please? *sweet face and big googly eyes*


	6. Swifta

A/N: I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving, for those who celebrate it! Personally, mine was nothing short of incredible. One uncle who I haven't seen in right around a year and another none of us have seen in about four years or so showed up to join in the fun, so we were all absolutely touched. Furthermore, this marked the one-year anniversary that my aunt nearly died twice in a month's time due to a brain aneurism. Thank you God for blessing us with her life!

Oookaayyyy…so apparently Micale likes brussel sprouts…does anyone else? If not, well, uhh…she can have 'em all. Lol Oh, and Purple…? *dangles Twinkie and cackles* Mwahahaha! XD

Okay, so…wow. Chapter 6. New characters to meet this chapter, learning more about an already introduced character, and…terrible news upon returning from the quest? Uh oh…what's going on with the infamous sisters now? Read on for details. ;P

Chapter 6

Swifta

"Everybody ready to go?" Icis called as she landed next to Wild and Cringe.

Wild smiled and began to strap her pack onto Icis's back. "Just about. You have everything, Cringe?"

Cringe nodded. "Everything a fox could need I keep in my pouch," she informed, lifting her chin to display a pouch similar to Abyss's around her neck. "Small blade, a few berries, a few aloe leaves, and a nice bunch of peppermint leaves."

Wild blinked. "Why the peppermint?"

"I like to chew on them from time to time. They freshen the breath as well as help to focus while in meditation."

"Really? I may have to try that sometime." Wild gripped Icis's mane and tugged herself aboard, settling herself in the center of Icis's back, just behind her wings. Icis lowered one wing so that the tip touched the snow, and Cringe nimbly lept onto the wing and bounded onto her back, sitting herself right between Icis's shoulders in front of Wild.

Icis stretched her wings and began to stir up a breeze. "Everybody set back there?" she asked, grinning over her shoulder at them.

Wild and Cringe both smiled back and nodded. "Let's go," Wild confirmed simply. Icis rose onto her haunches, standing only on her hind talons and spread her wings. After a moment's preparation, she suddenly sprang into the air and flapped her wings, rising high above the camp in little more than three seconds, leaving Wild and Cringe's stomachs behind. "Phew…always awesome," Wild commented under her breath.

Icis laughed, rising higher and higher until they were well over the landscape. "Okay, which way?" she asked once they were high enough.

Wild leaned forward, gently turning Icis's head to the right until her beak pointed directly toward the distant northern mountains. "Straight that way."

Icis nodded and angled the rest of her body, shooting forward with a gust of wind. "All right then. Off we go!" Wild grinned with exhilaration, the wind sending her hair flying out behind her. Sure the wind was icy cold, but it still sent her adrenaline into full flow, creating a feeling like no other. Cringe hunched down and crept forward until she was just behind Icis's head, her eyes narrowed against the wind. She grinned like Wild and gripped Icis's fur with her paws.

The trio journeyed for most of the day, only stopping once as it began to ease into the late afternoon to eat. There was no pond or river for Icis to fish from, but it was merely her favorite meal, not the only one she would eat. Wild had packed plenty of food, and she quickly started up a fire and began to cook the vegetables they had all chosen into a stew. They put out the fire as soon as the stew was done, and they ate mostly in silence, for none of them were familiar with this portion of the woods…or what lurked within. When they were finished, Wild packed up the bowls and they set off again, now traveling in approaching darkness.

"Can you still see if it gets dark?" Icis asked, not afraid but definitely uncertain.

"Of course," Cringe assured. "Don't worry. Both of us are mostly nocturnal anyway. We'll be able to see."

Icis nodded, feeling better. They traveled for another two hours or so before Wild spotted an array of lights from a clearing far below.

"Look! Is that it?" she asked, squinting to make out any moving figures. "It looks like a camp."

Cringe peeked over Icis's shoulder down at the field of lights. "Yes!" Wild leaned forward again and gently angled Icis's head down toward the camp. The wind whistled as Icis examined the field far below with a breeze. After a moment, she nodded to herself and began to descend toward the camp.

They landed on the edge of the camp, and were almost immediately greeted by a huge buck. He stepped forward cautiously, his head very slightly lowered to expose the sharp tips of his antlers, which was customary until the deer were certain they viewed no threat. "Greetings," he called to them, hospitable but careful. "I am Olano. Who are you?"

Wild slid from Icis's back, leaving one arm raised. Cringe skittered down Wild's arm, across her shoulders, onto the bend of her opposite arm, then lept to the ground. "I am Captain Wild of Aslan's army. These are my companions, Cringe of Aslan's army and Icis, daughter of Aslan and ruler of the wind. Forgive us for intruding so late, but we received word that one among you has been discovered to possess a great deal of knowledge in the ways of magic, and we wish to seek his or her recruitment."

Olano paused, then raised his antlers, peering directly at the three. He smiled. "Ahh, of course. You speak of my daughter, Swifta. She is indeed highly wise in the ways of magic, but I don't advise recruiting her."

Wild blinked. "If I may, why not?"

Olano jerked his head in a follow-me motion and turned away. The three exchanged odd glances before following the buck further into the camp. "Swifta does not use it for battle, or conflict of any kind, and she would not be of any use to your army."

"Oh, but we do not wish to use her as a soldier," Cringe explained. "We only wish to learn from her, so that we may earn a better knowledge of ways to defeat the White Witch. We wish to recruit her merely for learning purposes, not for battling."

"Hmmm…well, it is her decision." Olano stopped in the main area of the camp and called abruptly. "Swifta!"

There was a moment of just quiet tranquility before hurried hoofbeats could be heard, and then a small doe emerged from the far side of the camp, bounding up to Olano and dipping her head, panting audibly. "Yes, Father?" she inquired, her voice soft and whispy, but strong all the same.

Wild and Cringe exchanged a surprised glance as if to say, "Jeepers, she's fast!" Olano smiled down at her and gestured with his antlers toward the three. "These three are from Aslan's army, and they wish to take you with them in order to learn the ways of magic from you. They believe you could help them find a way to end the witch's reign once and for all."

Swifta blinked, her head shooting up. She stared at the three with wide eyes and jaw agape. "Aslan's army?" she squeaked, too stunned to form words properly. "…for me?"

Wild smiled at the young doe, nodding hopefully. "Yes. We heard that you know about magic and how it works. We feel that if we have a better understanding of the witch's weapons, then we could better use it against her. Won't you come assist us with your knowledge? You will never have to fight, and we will never expect you to. You will be soully a teacher."

Swifta paused, glancing at her father, then around her at the various lanterns and candles. She blinked slowly, then looked back at her father again. "Father…" she whispered.

"It's all right, Swifta," Olano comforted. "You must do whatever you feel is right. Should you go, we will be anxiously awaiting your return."

She paused again, and Wild could see the weight of the decision pressing on the teenager's shoulders. "We will respect your decision, Swifta, be it to stay or go. We are just here to extend the invitation, not to drag you off in chains."

That seemed to make her feel a little more at ease, and she laughed a little. "But…if I go…how will you get me there?"

"Oh, I can carry you," Icis chirped, then cleared her throat, embarrassed. "Ahem, I mean…if that would be okay with you."

Swifta blinked, then smiled and laughed. "All right; I'll do it!"

Wild, Icis, and Cringe beamed, excited. "Wonderful!" Wild exclaimed. "Is there anything you need or wish to bring with you?"

Swifta shook her head. "We don't carry anything. We travel around so much, everything we need we get from wherever we end up next."

Wild nodded and climbed back onto Icis's back. "Well, I hate to rush the proceedings, but we must get back as soon as possible." Icis dipped her wing, and Cringe lept aboard as before.

Swifta nodded and stepped forward, stopping to nuzzle her father. "I'll miss you, Father."

"And I shall miss you dearly, my daughter, but I couldn't be more proud of you." The two smiled at one another, and Olano added softly. "Your mother would be proud too."

Swifta's eyes dropped to her hooves mournfully. "I miss her terribly…but she will be avenged when we rub that witch's own weapon right in her face!" She gave her father one final lick on his nose, then trotted over to join the three warriors, who were all grinning from ear to ear at the doe's comment.

"Are you ready?" Icis asked, and Swifta nodded enthusiastically. With two small thrusts of her wings, Icis lifted into the air and angled herself over the deer, gently grasping around her chest with her paws. "Is that uncomfortable?"

Swifta shook her head. "Oh no; it's perfectly endurable."

Icis nodded and began to ascend. Wild smiled down at Olano. "Thank you, Sir Olano!" she called, dropping something toward him. "You have my word that whatever it takes, your daughter will be returned to you completely unscathed."

Olano nodded, watching the something drop. When it landed, he stepped forward to study it. It was a sort of wristband, tied with white string and decorated with glass beads that resembled wolf eyes. He considered the token for a moment before he ducked his head, scooping the little band onto two points of his antlers. He watched the warriors until they could no longer be seen, before quietly sighing to himself and turning away. "Be careful, my child," he whispered wistfully.

It was early the next morning when the four arrived back at camp. The sun had already risen, but it had not yet reached the halfway point in the eastern sky. They had spent most of the flight home learning about Swifta, and had found out that her mother, Mysteria, had gotten caught during a raid of their camp one night and had been turned to stone. Swifta said that her statue probably still stood somewhere in the vast expanse of the forest, though she'd never know how to get there. That had been the reason she had taken up learning about magic, and her findings had proved to be very useful to her herd. No sooner had they stepped into the camp than Poseidon charged up to Wild, his blue eyes blazing with urgency. Wild straightened, immediately set back into captain mode.

"Wild, your sister's crazy!" he exclaimed, gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Poseidon, what are you talking about?" Wild asked, furrowing her brow as she slid from Icis's back. "What has she done now?"

"Nothing thanks to King Peter's restraints, but it's what she's speaking of doing!"

"What?" Wild asked, just the tiniest bit frustrated with how difficult it sometimes was to get a story out of Poseidon. Rather, how difficult it was to get the point of a story out.

"Well, we were all sitting in her tent talking-we being me, Peter, Susan, Snowfire, Arianna, Luciano, and Lucy-and we were talking about how you guys met Molbrin in the woods but he told you not to let him catch you again or he'd kill you, and Arianna was saying something about how he's just been corrupted and told the wrong things so he needs to be brought here so we can teach him how it's supposed to be, and Susan said something about it being too dangerous to do that because of how many numbers Jadis has as well as how dangerous he seems to be if he threatened to kill his own sisters and…"

Wild sighed, rubbing her face exasperatedly. It was always like this; Poseidon was a nice fellow, and Wild truly admired him when things were stressful because he always made her laugh, but in times like this when things were urgently important, he didn't seem to be able to just spit out the point. She glanced at her companions. Icis held an amused but mildly irritated expression, Cringe held an expression of resigned defeat, the faintest "whatcha gonna do" sort of smile on her face. Swifta, on the other hand, looked utterly stunned that Poseidon hadn't run out of breath yet.

"…so that's when Arianna said she'd just have to do it herself and she tried to leave but Peter told her not to and she got angry and defensive so then he got some of those really thick vines, like…the really thick ones that we used once to hold back one of those other evil catsquatches that tried to eat Cringe but he couldn't break them cuz they were still healthy and way too thick to break just by pulling, and plus the fact that they were grown on Snow's island so she made them extra tough and-"

Wild was getting a stress headache. As politely as she could, she interrupted Poseidon to shorten the rest of the tale. "So she tried to go to Jadis's castle alone so Peter restrained her to keep her here, right?"

Poseidon stopped abruptly and blinked. "Uhh…yeah…and she's going crazy cuz she's angry and she's still trying to chew through the vines but it isn't working cuz they're Snowfire's vines and-"

"Thank you, Poseidon!" Wild interrupted again, giving him a polite but strangled smile. "I better go talk to her." Wild nodded to the group before hurrying off to check on Arianna and try to talk some sense into her. Poseidon watched her for a moment, then glanced at Icis.

"I get the feeling she didn't wanna hear the rest of my story."

Icis couldn't help it. She burst into laughter and embraced her brother with a wing. "Relax, Poseidon. I think she was just in a hurry to hear what Arianna had done."

A/N: Okay, so that was a little insane, huh? Don't worry, Poseidon's not always gonna be like that. When the current situation really is deathly serious, he's a lot more mature and brief than that. Keep in mind he is the water, so everything just sort of flows with him. ;P

So, what do you guys think of this chapter? I hope you like Swifta. Remember the piece about Mysteria; that will be important later. For now, I must go and check my email! Hahaha…;D

R&R! ^^


	7. Don't Be Stupid

A/N: Chapter 7…and still only two reviewers? Hmm. *sad face* Maybe I need some advertisement or something…hey, if by any chance you're still reading this story or you've just started reading it and you liked it enough to read all the way up here to chapter 7, tell your friends! I'm flattered that a couple people have marked this as one of their favorite stories, but I can't help but wonder how many people look at an author's profile and then peek at their favorite stories and then actually read one or more of them. Maybe I'm actually getting lots of readers and very few reviews, but that's what authors want to see! I mean, if nobody's reading a story, why would an author feel compelled to keep writing it? It's the feedback, people!

OK, now that I got that out of my system…lol So now Arianna is actually being restrained because she wants to go on a suicide mission…alone. Can Wild talk some sense into her, or will something really bad happen? Let's find out.

Ahh, and for Micale and anyone else who is wondering the same thing…keep in mind that Icis is blind. It's true she can see with the wind, and she uses the wind to see the ground below her while she is flying, but when she is in the air, the wind can't tell her general direction. She can fan out the wind to find her immediate bearings and see the earth below for probably a two mile radius, but that's the farthest she can see like that. The northern mountains were a great distance away, so Icis couldn't see the northward direction herself, so she needed Wild to point her in the correct direction. As for when Wild pointed her toward the camp, that was necessary because when she is flying, Icis only keeps a breeze on the path of earth right below herself so that she doesn't veer off course. If she covered too much earth at once while flying, she could possibly start to veer or curve to one side or the other, similar to how we blind people can sometimes do in a wide open area where there is no wall or counter to follow. ;P I hope that clears it up for you. ^^ I actually wasn't quite as thrilled with the last chapter either, but I did have fun with the touch of Poseidon at the end. :D *gasps, feigning insult* How dare you try to force that sprout of Satan down my throat! Uck!

Chapter 7

Don't Be Stupid

Wild sat next to Arianna inside Peter's tent, staring down at her sternly. Arianna's head was hung low in instinctual submission under her elder sister's glare, but her eyes almost dared Wild to start the debate. Wild had shifted back to her wolf form and sat with her tail wrapped around her paws, her ears halfway flattened, and her eyes narrowed. They sat in silence for a long time, just staring at each other. Arianna had been well restrained, the thick vines wrapped twice around her paws, securing her front right paw to her hind right paw, and the same for the left, as well as the two restraints being linked by a third vine which prevented Arianna from simply waddling or reaching her paws to chew the vine off. Finally, it was Wild who broke the heavy silence.

"What are you thinking, Arianna?" she asked abruptly, the faintest hint of a growl in her tone. "You can't go there alone, for more reasons than the obvious one!"

Arianna huffed slightly. "What's the obvious one, Wild?"

"You'd be overwhelmed and killed, and you know it. Molbrin said himself not to let ourselves cross paths with him again, so you're going to waltz right into the center of death and confront him again? Alone? How can you possibly see success in that?"

"He wouldn't really kill us, Wild. He's our brother."

"We don't know that, Arianna. He's been trained to obey Jadis for a year; that's longer than he was ever with us. Frankly, it's a miracle he even knew who we were, or remembered us. He's different, Arianna. He's not the playful and sweet brother we used to know."

"And how do _you_ know _that_?" Arianna snapped.

"He threatened to kill us!" Wild snarled, losing her temper. She admired her sister's devotion, but at the same time she often wondered if Arianna wasn't a bit too devoted. "Would our brother threaten to kill us? He said himself: Molbrin is dead. He's not Molbrin anymore."

"But how can we know for sure if we don't give him a proper chance? He spared us, Wild. He could have called the rest of the Secret Police and killed us right there, but did he? No; he gave us a warning and let us go. Do you think any Maugrim would do that? I think not."

Wild sighed, grinding her teeth. "Look, Arianna; I'm not saying we can't go get him. What I'm saying is that you're not going to go alone. That's just plain stupid. If you'll just wait long enough for us to work out a plan of attack, consult Abyss, we can get him and bring him here, but nobody is going there alone or without backup, got it?"

Arianna was silent for another long time, just staring at Wild's paws. Finally, she growled in frustration. "Fine."

Wild nodded and leaned down, pulling the one loose vine which released the others. Arianna stood up shakily and shook out her coat. "Just…just stay here," Wild told her quietly, turning to exit the tent. If Wild had paid more attention to the look of defiance in her sister's eyes, she would have realized what a fatal mistake she had just made.

Maugrim prowled back into the castle from his day's work of scout patrolling. He paused in the main hall to shake the snow from his fur. As the day had eased into the afternoon, Jadis had whipped up another blizzard, and snow as well as sleet had been whirling through the air for nigh on four hours. Though he would never admit it, Maugrim was cold. He moved further into the castle and up the small flight of stairs to the platform where he slept and kept watch over the entrance. As he cleared the final step, he snorted slightly. Terian, the new Beta of the Secret Police, was lying near the edge of the platform. He raised his head to glance at Maugrim as he approached, flopping down next to him.

"You don't mind, do you?" Terian asked, his voice not as gravelly as Maugrim's, but relatively deep and somewhat velvety.

Maugrim shook his head. "Lay wherever you want." Truthfully, Maugrim didn't mind. Terian was the closest thing to a friend Maugrim had in his dark life. Terian had never started a fight with him, had never spoken a foul word to or about him, and had always obeyed his orders, even before Maugrim was captain. Terian was, if Maugrim dared to describe him with such a word, nice.

"Thanks. It's always a little warmer up here…I can't figure out why."

"Heat rises," Maugrim explained, his eyes drifting closed.

Terian snickered. "What? That sounds like some sort of puppet show title." Maugrim cracked one eye, gazing at his friend quizzically. Terian chuckled. "I mean…think about it. The Queen can't survive in warmth, right? So if it were to stop snowing, Aslan would win. If they made a legend puppet show out of it, they might call it 'Heat Rises'."

Maugrim snorted, closing his eye again. "I think your training triggered a malfunction in your brain, Terian."

Terian laughed goodnaturedly. "Yeah, that's what they all say."

Maugrim paused, considering something for a long silence. "Terian, if I were to confide something in you, would you swear to keep it between us?"

Terian blinked, surprised. "Course I would. What is it?"

Maugrim opened his eyes and turned to face Terian. Next to his personality, Terian held the appearance of an honest wolf. Of all the wolves that served Jadis (or any of the creatures, for that matter), Terian had the neatest and cleanest coat. He cared a great deal for his own hygene, and he paid careful attention to his own health. He took care of himself; he was a good wolf. He had jet black fur with white-tipped paws, a white chin, and salt and pepper markings on his chest and tail, and he had wide blue eyes that simply exploded with concern and loyalty. Yes, he could trust Terian.

"Well…remember how I told you before that I thought I had two sisters before I was brought here?" Terian nodded. Maugrim swallowed hard. "Okay, here's the thing…I was right…and I saw them in the woods a couple days ago. I didn't recognize one because I couldn't see her eyes. I nearly killed her, Terian…and then the other one came, and she's unmistakeable all around, so I recognized her as soon as I saw her."

Terian paused. "Well…do you think your sister is dead?"

Maugrim shook his head. "No, I'm sure she was healed, but…I'm starting to doubt myself now. I let them go, but warned them that if I caught them again, I'd have to kill them. I'm afraid I will catch them again and then I'll have to end their lives. It all came back to me, Terian. It all came flooding back when I looked into Wild's eyes…I remembered everything. She risked her life to save me and Arianna when we were pups, and she took care of us and raised us for most of my puphood. She's like my mother as well as my sister. I don't think I can kill her…I don't think I can kill either of them."

Terian frowned, genuinely worried for his friend and alpha. "Well…then don't."

"It wouldn't be that easy though," Maugrim pointed out. "Especially if the rest of the pack is around when I see them…they'll never keep it a secret. Besides…you know how that mind magic works. We have to obey the Queen's orders, no matter what we want. Even if I did try to spare them again, the magic wouldn't let me."

Terian nodded again, frowning. "Well…have you ever considered leaving?"

Maugrim gave him a sharp but confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, have you ever thought about changing sides? Like, leaving the Queen and joining Aslan?"

"But they're twisted-"

"So we're told," Terian argued, smirking faintly. "We really don't have any way of knowing whether or not we're being lied to unless we examine the options, right? Isn't that what Joran taught us? Examine every possible angle of a story and doubt it until it is proven to be true?"

Maugrim paused, frowning in confusion. "We'd be killed if we tried that, Terian…the spells would drop us deader than broken branches."

"Supposedly they can cancel spells. Don't you think it's worth a try if it means not having to rip your sisters' throats out?"

Maugrim sighed, laying his head back down. "I just don't know…I don't know what to do."

"Don't tie yourself in a knot over it, okay?" Terian reassured. "Eventually it'll all work out."

"What makes you say that?"

Terian grinned. "Well, the way I see it, this place belongs to one of them…and whichever one it rightfully belongs to will be the one to win out in the end, don't you think?" He paused, letting that sink in. "Plus, I don't know about you, but there's one thing the Queen didn't rob me of during my puphood." Maugrim raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "My faith." Maugrim thought about that. Terian was young, too…just a little bit older than Maugrim himself, but he carried a wisdom to surpass his years. Maybe he was right. Maybe Maugrim just needed to let go.

A/N: Oooo…Terian's a handsome fellow, eh? ;P I never actually realized how handsome he is until I described him here…is that odd? That I'm attracted to a fictional wolf? XD Of course it isn't! *crazy laugh*

So, I thought you peoples would enjoy a scene from the "evil" side of things. What do you think of Terian? Do you think Arianna's going to get into serious trouble, or do you think she's going to keep her word but make a terrible move? Give me your thoughts! ^_^


	8. Bad Ideas, Worse Decisions

A?/N: Hi guys! Sorry for the overdue update. Things have been really busy for the past couple of weeks. I had my research paper for my English class (which I made a 100 on!) and then I had my last paper which counted as the final, and I also got a 100 on that! I just found that out Thursday night, so I'm partying all weekend! Wooo! So next semester, I'm going to attempt to take Fundamentals of Acting…provided of course that the classes aren't already full because my early registration has been delayed due to a special waver I'm taking my classes under. It's too long to explain in written type, so I won't go into it…but basically, while everybody else has been having early registration for two weeks now, I can't register more than thirty days before the start of the Spring semester…so I can't register until Monday. I actually think it's really dumb, but it's the policy…whatever.

But anyway…I think I'd be able to impress my professor cuz I could definitely pull of voice acting! I amaze my family members (especially my younger cousins! Hahahaha) with my ability to imitate several different accents as well as put all the right emotion into my voice when I'm speaking. Plus, if I'm really into a character mindset, and it's a sad or depressing scene…I cry! It's nothing I plan or think about…it just happens. Lol Just to give you an idea, I can imitate all of these accents: Spanish, Irish, Scottish, French, English/British, Indian (as in India), Romanian, Russian, Swedish, German, Jamaican, Canadian, Australian, Italian, and ghetto. I know a lot of you probably don't know what ghetto sounds like, but take my word for it…it's funny! I can also speak in several American dialects…some states have their own "accents". New York, Wisconsin, Texas, and Tennessee (where I live) all have accents that seem to identify where we are from. Just a note…I promise you I was not exaggerating in this accent list at all; I really can speak all of them, and for the most part, I could fool anybody if I met them for the first time and spoke in a certain accent. They would swear I was from Russia or England…nope! America! Haha. ;D Another little addition to this list…I went to a Native American pow-wow one year and a Lakota man taught me a few Lakota terms. I could never spell them, otherwise I'd show you what the language looks like, but I can only pronounce them. He said he thinks I may have Lakota in me somewhere because it's really difficult to speak if you aren't part of the tribe! How cool is that?

OK, moving on. Lol I'm just really excited about it because I wonder how good my physical acting is, cuz I know my voice acting is really good. All right…so Wild untied Arianna when she agreed to stay in camp and not go after Molbrin alone…only problem is…Arianna didn't promise! *dramatic music sting* Now, let's see what Arianna gets herself into…and if she can get back out again.

Chapter 8

Bad Ideas, Worse Decisions

It was late night in the camp, the area pitch black as all the fires and lanterns had already been extinguished for the evening. The woods were quiet, and the pale half moon cast eerie silhouettes about the trees and tents, foreshadowing something terrible. When it was well past the middle of the night and she knew everyone was fast asleep, Arianna silently padded out of her tent. In her wolf form, her footsteps were silent as she hurried across the camp and to the edge of the forest. She knew that two of the wolves in Wild's pack would be patrolling the area tonight, but not to watch her. They would be out to guard the perimeter and nothing more. She knew their patterns, too; Kyrona would circulate the east side every ten minutes before switching to the west side, and Amos would do the opposite, patrolling the west side for ten minutes before switching to the east. If she waited until just the right time, she would be able to slip right between them and get away without them ever knowing.

As she listened, she could hear the almost inaudible sound of Kyrona moving through the shrubs a few meters away, moving away from her position. She waited silently for another minute or two, then quickly and stealthily crept forward, hurrying through the bushes and broke out in a run as soon as she had cleared the perimeter, grinning to herself as she escaped flawlessly. She ran straight for the witch's castle. Sure, Wild may have had a point that she shouldn't go alone, but Wild had lost faith in their own brother, Arianna was sure of it. Wild wasn't going to plan any group attack; she wasn't going to try to convince Molbrin that there existed a life where servitude under abuse wasn't the norm, nor was it acceptable. If Wild truly believed Molbrin meant what he had said, then let her. Arianna would prove her wrong. If Wild wasn't going to do anything, then so be it…she would do this on her own.

She arrived at the lair of the witch in a surprisingly short period of time, being capable of rapid speed. She slowed down considerably as she peered into the stone courtyard, wincing at the sight of all the statues littering the space…more of the dark witch's victims. She heard a faint scratching noise and glanced to the side, frowning to herself as she saw a large catsquatch pacing laps around the front area of the entrance. For only a split second did she think it to be Abyss. The moment she became hopeful, she knew it was not her friend. His scent was all wrong, and he did not have the small pouch around his neck. His eyes held a dark hatred and his fur was matted and rough looking. How would she get past him? She paused, thinking for a bit before she grinned and began to change her form, transforming from a wolf into a small gray mouse. Moving quickly but cautiously, she skittered from the cover of the forest and out onto the stone courtyard. As she had hoped, the catsquatch glanced down at her as she skittered about, but gave no real notice of her as she cleverly padded about in a nonspecific, seemingly random pattern before finally making it to the entrance.

Mentally howling with triumph, she immediately took cover behind a statue once inside the massive great hall. sShe looked around briefly, then sniffed at the ground, soon catching Molbrin's scent and followed it up the stairs and onto the platform where he slept and watched the entrance. Once there, she looked around slowly, ensuring nobody else was around, then shifted back to her wolf form and padded over, carefully nudging his muzzle with her paw. "Molbrin?" she whispered softly.

It only took that one touch and sound. In a flash, Molbrin was on his feet, golden eyes narrowed warningly and fur bristling around his neck. He wasn't growling or snarling, but his muzzle was curled as ifwarning the intruder of a coming bite. He remained like this only for a moment before his eyes widened and his muzzle smoothed, though his fur remained on end. "Arianna…! What are you doing here? He hissed angrily, ears flattening menacingly.

"I've come to get you, Molbrin," Arianna whispered back sternly. "You're not meant to serve Jadis, and I think you know it but you're just too afraid to admit it. Now come on while nobody's watching!"

"Arianna, don't you get it?" Molbrin growled, now baring his teeth at her. "You cannot be here! You have to leave, now!"

Arianna narrowed her own eyes, irritated. "Or what? You'll kill me? Isn't that what you threatened to do to us the other day? Are you going to kill me if I don't leave?"

"No…that would be _my_ job," an icy voice cut in. Molbrin and Arianna's blood ran cold as they heard the flat and angry voice of the witch, from just below them on the main floor. They stared at one another for a long moment before, slowly, they both turned to look down at Jadis. Her face was deadpan, but Molbrin could plainly see the fury in her eyes. "Maugrim, am I to assume that you saw two of Aslan's worms…and let them go?" Molbrin couldn't speak; he opened his mouth, but was interrupted. "And don't…try to lie to me," she warned, a faint spark of blue static popping from her wand.

Molbrin finally dipped his head, ears flat and tail tucked. "Yes, your majesty," he confessed. "Please, forgive me…but I did not want to kill my own family-"

"Family!" Jadis snapped, slapping him harshly across his muzzle. He yelped in pain and surprise and dropped to his stomach on the stone floor. "You saw family fit enough to hide it from me? Your queen? How dare you! You mutinous, worthless, spineless little slug of an excuse for a captain! Well, I hope you're glad to see her because you'll be spending plenty of time with her in the dungeon!"

Filled to the brim with a mixture of anger and guilt, Arianna snapped. She lunged at Jadis, snarling viciously and clamped down on her wrist, jerking her violently away from Molbrin. Enraged, Jadis spun around and brought her wand down over Arianna's nose, zapping her with a crack of icy electricity. Arianna released her arm, yowling in pain and stumbled away. Spurred into action at the sound of his sister's pained cries, Molbrin lept to his feet and lunged from behind, managing to bring Jadis to the ground.

Jadis, however, had expected this much and as she hit the ground, she threw one fist up and delivered a sharp blow to his throat. Momentarily gagged, Molbrin was forced to let go, and in that split second, Jadis was up again and had him by his muzzle. She lifted him clear off the ground and flung him with all her might, a loud thud echoing across the massive corridor as he hit the wall and fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. Enraged beyond logical thought, Arianna lunged again, blind with fury. Jadis spun back around and zapped her again, but this time with more voltage. Arianna cried out and staggered, and Jadis lept forward, stabbing a deep wound into Arianna's flank with her wand. Arianna screeched in agony and whipped around reflexively, snapping down violently on the witch's wrist, drawing a considerable amount of blood and tearing the wand from her flank, leaving a sizeable gash. Jadis grinned icily and lifted Arianna, spinning around and slammed her against one of the stone pillars. With a final yelp of pain, Arianna dropped from Jadis's wrist, lying in a heap on the ground, not unlike Molbrin.

There was a long, deafening silence as the witch stood between the broken wolves, recovering and healing herself. Once she was done, she turned to face the back chamber, where two of her guards had assembled upon hearing the racket and now stood awaiting orders. She pointed to the two wolves and said simply, "Traitor and prisoner…you know what to do."

The two guards nodded and moved forward, collecting the two wolves and retreated again, moving away into the upstairs area where all of the most torturous cells were located. They threw Molbrin into one cell and Arianna into the one right next to him. Molbrin, while not hurt quite as badly as Arianna, simply couldn't struggle. He was drained, both physically and emotionally. He had tried to protect them, but he had failed…now he was getting what he deserved. He had been given the opportunity to rejoin his sisters, had refused and threatened to kill them, so now he was going to die, but Arianna was having to share the punishment. Why?

The two guards disappeared back through the entryway, leaving the corridor in eerie silence, save for the quiet breaths and whimpers from Arianna as she tried to lick her wound. The pain was devastating, and she wondered if this might end up being one of those wounds that heals and scars, but continues to ache for the rest of her life. She let Wild down, she thought miserably. She told Wild she wouldn't leave on her own, and she did anyway…promise or no promise, she still went against her word, and this was her punishment. An icy chill ran down her spine as she wondered what would happen when she eventually had to face Aslan again. Would he be angry? Would she be condemned? Moreover, would Wild accept her? That was almost scarier than the thought of Aslan's confrontation. She was a rebel, yes, and she was stubborn, yes…but it was Wild who was the authority of the two. She glanced at Molbrin through the bars between them and whimpered, murmuring after a moment of pained silence. "I'm sorry…"

Molbrin turned to gaze at her for a moment. He was mute at first, just staring at her, but she could see the pain in his eyes. Finally, he simply nodded and whispered back, "No…I'm sorry." Arianna wanted to say it was okay, to ask him why he was sorry when she was the idiot who had stormed right into the witch's castle…she wanted to tell him that it was her fault, not his, and she was sorry for being so angry with him. But she just couldn't. She hurt so badly, and it was all she could do to even hold her head up anymore. Dizzily, she laid her head down on her paws and groaned in pain, squeezing her eyes shut as her vision swirled and rippled. It only took a few more moments before she could feel herself slipping away. Her mind drifted into unconsciousness, the darkness enveloping her, and her last thought before her mind went silent was, "I should have listened to you Wild…I'm so sorry."

Early the next morning in the camp, Wild rose and went out to carry out her morning task of making sure no pack members had been hurt during the night. She wandered to the edge of the camp to meet Kyrona for the report, but stopped dead as she passed Arianna's tent. Frowning, she sniffed the ground a second time, praying it wouldn't confirm her fears…but it did. Arianna had left her tent…and the scent was already dissolving into the snow, so it had been some time earlier. Bristling with impending panic, she followed the scent rapidly, tracing it all the way to the edge of the camp where it crossed clear over Kyrona and Amos's scents, actually disappearing altogether where the two scents blended, then continuing on the other side. Wild's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and her blood ran cold. She didn't…! Surely she wouldn't have…she gave her word! …But then…no she didn't…

A/N: Ooooooo…now the trouble's REALLY coming! Don't you just loooooove cliffhangers? ;D

So tell me…what do you guys think happened to Arianna? Do you think she's dead? Do you think she's still alive but under some sort of spell? Or do you think it's something else much worse…? Tell meeee!

Also, do you think Wild is going to go after them? Will she go herself, with a group, or do you think she's smart enough to send one of those fancy undercover agents to try and get them out? If she does, will she get Molbrin too? Just tell me…what do you think will happen next, and what do you hope happens? I love hearing these things. ^_^

R&R and I promise not to catch any of you under the mistletoe this year! XD


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